China has praised three African countries for refusing to allow the aircraft of Taiwan’s president to fly through their airspace, a move that forced the cancellation of a planned diplomatic visit to southern Africa.
According to reports on Wednesday, President Lai Ching-te was scheduled to travel to Eswatini, one of the few nations that maintain diplomatic relations with Taiwan. However, the trip was cancelled after several countries withdrew previously granted overflight permissions.
Authorities in Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar reportedly revoked approval for Lai’s aircraft to transit their airspace, making the journey impossible.
The development marks the first time a Taiwanese president has had to cancel an entire foreign trip due to the denial of airspace access, highlighting intensifying diplomatic pressure from China on the self-governed island.
Taiwanese officials accused Beijing of using economic pressure to influence the decisions of the three African countries. However, the claim was rejected by a spokesperson for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office.
Spokesperson Zhang Han commended the countries for adhering to the “One-China” principle, which recognises Beijing as the sole legitimate government of China.
“A just cause enjoys abundant support, while an unjust cause finds little support,” Zhang said during a regular news briefing in Beijing, quoting the ancient Chinese philosopher Mencius.
China considers democratically governed Taiwan part of its territory, a claim firmly rejected by the government in Taipei. The status of Taiwan remains one of the most sensitive issues in Beijing’s foreign policy and is often described by Chinese officials as a “red line” in diplomatic relations.
In a separate statement, China’s Foreign Ministry asserted that there is “no longer a so-called Republic of China president in the world,” referring to Taiwan by its formal constitutional name.
Speaking at a meeting of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party in Taipei, Lai insisted that Taiwan would continue to engage with the international community despite mounting pressure.
“No country can stop this, and none will be able to. The harder China suppresses us, the more we must demonstrate a spirit of fearlessness,” he said.
Officials in Madagascar and Seychelles said their decisions were based on their governments’ diplomatic positions, noting that they do not recognise Taiwan as a sovereign state.
Despite the cancelled trip, authorities in Eswatini said the incident would not affect the kingdom’s longstanding relations with Taiwan.
Acting government spokesperson Thabile Mdluli said bilateral ties between the two sides remain unchanged.
Taiwan currently maintains formal diplomatic relations with only a handful of countries worldwide, as Beijing continues to pressure governments to adopt the One-China policy and sever official ties with Taipei.
